Why Facebook and Instagram Stories Should Matter To Marketers
It’s 2020. The world is online. On their phones. And most people are on social media. Every day. More than 2.45 billion people use Facebook every month. More than 1 billion use Instagram. And 500 million people are watching Instagram Stories every day, according to Hootsuite.
If you haven’t jumped onto Facebook or Instagram to advertise your company, then A) you may be fine with the demand for your business, or B) you may not actually know how important social media is for today’s marketers.
> Learn more about the importance of authenticity and social media marketing
This blog will focus on the value of Facebook and Instagram, with a special emphasis on the Story format. Both platforms offer it as an advertising option—and Story campaigns can be an effective way to engage and connect with your customers.
> See how Issuu can help transform your PDFs into a Facebook and Instagram Story campaign.
Instagram is where Millennials live
Did you know that a third of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses?
Why are they so popular? One theory is they’re hyper-optimized for a culture where the average attention span is short—less than a common goldfish, says Time.
In a world of distractions and marketing noise, Instagram has found a way to get people to halt and look at a story because it’s harnessing the thing that gets people to look: a great-looking story.
Publishers. Designers. IKEA cabinet makers. Businesses everywhere are reaching people, especially the under-30 crowd using Instagram Stories. As we’ve blogged, the key to really connecting is right there within you.
> Learn more about the importance of authenticity for Instagram Story ads.
Facebook is everywhere
Facebook has 2.45 billion monthly users worldwide.
But if you’re a millennial—like many of Issuu’s customers—you probably don’t post anything to Facebook. You still have it because that’s where your friends are. It’s a way to stay connected and to figure out events in your city. don’t even know what’s going on in the world if we don’t see it on our Facebook news feeds. It’s a part of our daily lives.
Unlike Instagram, however, Facebook is not as focused on the visual narrative of the story; it’s more a mix of text and visuals.
Facebook vs Instagram, clarified
When you compare Instagram to Facebook, the general rule of thumb is Instagram is better for under-30 advertising and Facebook is better for an older audience. (99Designs has a helpful blog on this topic.)
Of course, everything is relative. If you’re publishing a magazine for young entrepreneurs succeeding with Facebook advertising, then you’ll probably want to advertise on Facebook. Just understand that many of them may be spending most of their time on Instagram.
The power of stories
Instagram and Facebook Stories are like short movies. You can add text, photos and video. Stories are short and to the point. There’s no time for BS.
Pro tip: Hook your viewer in the first three seconds by conveying who you are and what you want as succinctly as possible.
Don’t waste people’s time
A final comment: When you’re creating Instagram or Facebook Story campaigns, don’t waste your audience’s time by releasing ads without any personality… or without a clear message and a clear next step. Above all, present content that expresses your passion and your enthusiasm for your brand.
> Learn more about why passion is the only thing you really need to create killer content on the Issuu Blog.
About Issuu Blog
Connecting content to people, the Issuu Blog seeks to cover the topics of interest to our community—from tips to trends to best practices. See how Issuu can transform a single PDF into a high-quality campaign that connects on Facebook, Instagram, and across the Web.